Teaching Kids to Think by Darlene Sweetland Page A

and lagging a bit behind in others. Feel free to support them, but try not to rescue them, because they need the struggle to achieve each new level or milestone in development.

C HAPTER 5
    Take Advantage of the Critical Periods of Brain Development

    We frequently hear about conflicts that deal with a child’s inability to print out a school assignment. This is such a common source of anxiety for students and parents alike. For example, the student goes to print out the assignment and the household printer is out of ink or won’t work, and he or she immediately begins to panic. The student can just as easily print in another color, save it on a jump drive to print at school, stop at a copy center on the way to school, print at the library or at a friend’s house; there are lots of options. But the immediate reaction is hopelessness, rather than creative problem solving.
    â€”Dr. Darlene and Dr. Ron
    In past generations, there were natural opportunities every day for children and teens to practice the skills discussed in this book. In fact, there was no way around it. Think about the difference in freedom that children in the 1960s, ’70s, and ’80s had in planning their days. Many of you may remember the phrase, “Be home when the street lights come on.” Parents often didn’t know where their children were from the time they left the house to the time it was dark. While they were gone, they were organizing games, playing with other children, and, yes, getting into mischief. All those things required practice with essential skills that would be used throughout their lives: organization, planning, and using judgment to make decisions. These opportunities enhanced brain development, flexible thinking, and independent problem solving. On the other hand, many children in this generation are deprived of those same experiences. Whether it is concern about safety, lack of free time in a schedule, or too much homework, kids do not have the same freedoms and, therefore, the same opportunities as in previous generations.
    Not only are today’s children overscheduled and given fewer opportunities for independence, but the advancements in technology have also taken away even more opportunities for children to practice essential life skills. When the solution for a problem comes in seconds because a child picks up a phone to call someone or Google it, they are not required to think for themselves and figure things out. Children and teens are becoming reliant on technology to give them answers and have difficulty coming up with solutions without it.
    In addition to the scenarios of children being out on their own, there are many other opportunities to practice thinking and problem solving that are also lost to this generation because of the convenience of technology. Let’s compare how everyday experiences for children and teens differ now from the year 1999.
 
Then
Now
Video technology
To record a favorite TV show you needed to know when it was on, which channel, set the VCR, and remember not to accidentally record over the cassette tape. If there were two shows on at the same time, family members needed to carefully negotiate which show they would record. This gave children an opportunity to develop interpersonal skills, such as communication and compromise, as well as independent planning and organization.
Almost every show is available immediately any time of day or night on demand, no thought required.
Map skills
In the glove compartment of most cars, you could find a state map or U.S. atlas. If you got lost when driving, you would need to look at a map, figure out if the neighborhood was safe to ask directions, and try to follow the directions. This gave teens the opportunity to learn how to deal with an unexpected outcome by using problem-solving, decision-making, social-reasoning, and communication skills.
GPS will lead the way, or if per chance you do get lost, a quick call on a cell